How Rashee Rice makes Chiefs' offense even more dynamic, helps Travis Kelce's output

The Death Star in Kansas City is fully operational once again.

The Chiefs are riding high after throttling the Raiders, 31-0, in the return of wide receiver Rashee Rice from a six-game suspension. It seems like the inefficiencies of the Chiefs' offense from weeks 1-3 are in the past, and this Kansas City offense could be the most explosive and dynamic quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had since the Tyreek Hill trade. A large part of that is Rice, who came back and immediately got to work. Rice had 10 targets on 16 routes run and scored two touchdowns. However, I think what he did on those routes is what's important, and it makes the Chiefs' offense even more dangerous than before.

Rashee Rice is one of the most dynamic slot receivers in the NFL, being strong enough to make tough catches over the middle but also torches linebackers and safeties in the short to intermediate areas of the field. The last time Rice played a full season (2023), Rice was sixth in the NFL in yards after the catch according to NFL Pro, and from the slot he averaged 2.5 Yards per route run and a 0.53 EPA per target. Pretty darn good if you ask me!

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With Rice back in the fold against the Raiders, the Chiefs really began to unleash the YAC machine and with it gave their offense another dangerous element. Before Rice came back, running back Brashard Smith was their guy on screen routes, leading the Chiefs in targets on WR screens. Furthermore, when the Chiefs ran their RPOs pre-Rice, the leading target getter was Hollywood Brown and Smith again. There are much better ways to use Brown and Smith is more of a specialist in his role, so adding Rice into these areas make the offense much more dangerous. Their RPOs are an extension of their run game, efficient ways of stealing yards and forcing the defense to play the numbers game. Rice is similar to a running back after the catch, and it was on display against Vegas. Kansas City is in 13 personnel (three tight ends) with Rice as the lone receiver, and they send him in motion to the side with TEs Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. The Raiders don't adjust to the motion and only have three guys to defend three eligible receivers. Mahomes throws this to Rice with 2 TEs in front of him and it's basically free yardage. With Rice back, the Chiefs have a guy who is really strong after the catch making the quick swing passes on RPOs even more of a problem than before. 

On top of that, Rice is also the strongest against man coverage and design him targets to maximize his strengths against NFL defenses. Rice is such a strong player in the slot and growing against press coverage that he helps to blend everyone else's skills on the Chiefs offense. As good and fun as Xavier Worthy is, he's not that great against press coverage right now. He only averages 1.3 yards per route run against press right now, and Travis Kelce is more fit to just find gaps in zone than be a constant separator. Rice brings juice against man coverage and Kansas City gives him a lot of opportunities to go and win, especially against linebackers. According to NFL Pro, Rice matched up against Las Vegas LBs Devin White and Elandon Roberts and caught three passes for 29 yards and had a jet sweep TD. KC designs him choice routes and juke routes against linebackers, using his explosiveness and quickness out of breaks to hammer linebackers in the slot. When the Chiefs give him looks like this, they're going to be very hard to stop.

Where the rubber really hits the road with Rice and the Chiefs is that they can be more versatile with their skill position group. Kansas City started to use 12 and 13 personnel a little bit more against the Raiders, but with Rice on the field they can use him as a power slot, lining him up in condensed formations and using him as a blocker as well. With all of the weapons that Kansas City has in their arsenal, Rice is the perfect player to blend all of it together. Because of how strong he is after the catch and how good he can be against press coverage, Rice is the perfect guy to mesh everything that the Chiefs offense wants to be, turning them into the fire breathing dragon of an offense we know they can be. 

Rice's return had some really nice positives, and although there's a lot of season left, by being on the field he gives the Chiefs another problem to throw at defenses.